


Expect The Unexpected

by YallHearSumn



Series: RhodeyTony tingz [5]
Category: Iron Man (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awesome Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M, Omega Tony, Omega Tony Stark, Omega Verse, Parent Tony Stark, Protective Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Protective Tony Stark, Shopping, Shopping Malls, Tony Angst, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, Tony-centric, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-17 06:00:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21261836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YallHearSumn/pseuds/YallHearSumn
Summary: Life comes at you fast, and suddenly Tony's got a baby in his arms and Rhodey's on the opposite side of the country.Late 1988
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark, Roberta Rhodes & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Other(s)
Series: RhodeyTony tingz [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1477535
Comments: 7
Kudos: 242





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy :P
> 
> PLEASE head tags - alcoholism, child neglect, child abandonment. Not too much, but it is here.
> 
> Adoption incredibly simplified.

Rhodey's mama takes Tony shopping the Saturday after Rhodey ships out. Rhodey's cousin had given her a tip off that a decent Omega store had finally opened in the industrial area downtown, and she'd been meaning to get Tony a few things of his own for awhile now. Both James and Tony were hopeless at making house, so she was going to help him pick out a few homewares too. 

"Let's each grab a cart, honey - and look, everything's on sale," Roberta says excitedly, guiding him into the store with a steadying hand on his lower back. 

"Sure," Tony replies, trailing close behind her. "What did you want to look at first?" 

"I was thinking we get you a new wardrobe first, Lord knows all you have are those band T-shirts and jeans." 

"And the office wear, don't forget that, Mama." 

Tony tries on a couple of non-band T-shirts, a pair of nice-ish slacks, and they even score big on an entire sale bin of summer clearance specials. He finds a billowy skirt he likes, some cute sundresses that he definitely won't be wearing outside of the house, spots some thick dungarees and slides on some soft button downs and flannels; bell bottoms are apparently going out of style, but _damn_ do they make his ass and hips look good, so he snatches up a couple pairs going for two-for-one. He buys a few more pairs of underwear and some warm socks for Winter, Roberta sneaking a few racy items and delicates into his cart with a sly wink (_For when your mister gets back_), and insisting that he get a pair of _floral_ pyjamas, of all things. ______

_ _ __ _ _

_ _ __ _ _

Roberta smiles when Tony picks out two identical red scarves, wrapping one around her neck and the other around his. In the bath and body section, Tony actually does reach for the flowery scents, but instead of grabbing his usual deodorant, picks out a musky scented one that reminds him of Rhodey's. 

When they get to checkout, both carts are filled to the brim. The store had a fantastic nesting section, and they'd even been able to pick up two new sets of soft bath towels (that came with complimentary wash cloths), and a couple of soft and comfy blankets and pillows. A couple of new throw pillows for the living room and an inexpensive coffee maker later, Tony stops by the hardware store, and after doing his mental calculations, splurges a little buying new materials for his workshop. 

"How about we drop these off at yours and then go out for lunch?" Roberta asks, unloading their goods into the boot. 

"Sounds good, mama, I'd kill for some hashbrowns." 

*** 

Roberta takes them to a diner a few shops down from her brother's auto-repair shop where Rhodey had worked part-time. 

"You remember Terrance's brother, Don? Can you believe that no-good son of his left his baby on his doorstep? Now he's banging on my damn door everyday and dropping that baby off with anyone who looks at him long enough," Roberta says gloomily with a tut. "I have half a mind to call child services on him, that baby's no better off living with him either." 

Putting their orders in and turning to Roberta with a sympathetic smile, Tony starts tapping out a random beat on the table. "That sounds rough, isn't there anyone else who can take the baby in?" 

"Not that I know, and with me being so busy at church, I can't even begin to think of taking him in. He's real sweet too, looks whip-smart, which trust me, is something new for that branch of the family tree." 

"Ma, let uncle T hear you now," Tony teases. 

"What? He'd agree with me," she says, waving at someone behind Tony. 

"Roberta, Hazel just told me she saw you go in," says an older woman, leaning down to hug mama. "And this must be James's Tony," she says excitedly, pulling Tony into a tight hug. 

"The very one, Anna-Mae. Tony and I just got back from shopping; Jenny told us about this cute Omega store that just opened up downtown, you better let Shauna know before they stop their specials." 

"Of course, what I actually want to know though, is why y'all haven't introduce me to this beauty yet? We only live a street away, Honey," Mabel says, pinching Tony's cheek. 

"I'm sorry ma'am, it's been a crazy few months," Tony says politely. 

"I heard James moved out, and that he just got shipped out. I'm praying for you, Honey. You know, my husband was ex-military, and I remember how the days would just bleed into each other, but once you get your arms around each other again, you'll forget all about it," Mabel adds with a wink. "My granddaughter runs a club for Omegas whose spouses work out of town, how about you give her a call and check it out?" She takes out her phone book and writed down a name and number on a napkin, before sliding it to Tony. 

"Work keeps me a bit busy these days, but I'll be sure to give her a call, ma'am." 

"You be sure that you do," she says kindly. "Let me not keep y'all though, I've got to finish my shopping too." 

"Say 'hi' to Terrance for me, Roberta, and don't keep that one locked up and to yourselves," she jokes, waving over her shoulder. 

"Everyone's so nice here, Ma," Tony says once she's gone, leaning over to pour them both a cup of coffee and sliding the napkin into his pocket. 

"Old Anna-Mae just came digging for some gossip. But definitely call her daughter, I don't want you cooped up in that flat all day." 

"You all act like I don't have friends," Tony jokes. 

"Your 'friends' called you a five dollar whore and sold you out to the papers, Baby." 

"Low blow, Ma, low blow." 

*** 

Tony meets this grandson of uncle Don's when he's watching TV with Rhodey's little sister later in the week. 

Don comes in stumbling on his feet, the little baby haphazardly bundled into an old shirt. "Hey guys, where's Roberta?" he slurs, swaying dangerously where he stands, and Tony's instincts immediately starts going haywire. 

"Ma's out, uncle D." 

"Oh, well maybe I can pawn him off on your aunty," he says noncommittally, already turning around to stumble off. 

By now, Tony's stomach is rolling and a sweat has broken out on his forehead. He can only imagine how that poor baby must feel, not a soul in the world caring for him, just being passed around from arm to arm. At least he'd had Jarvis and Anna growing up - and in that moment, knows exactly what he has to do. 

Before his good sense catches up with him, Tony is crossing the room and putting a hand on the man's shoulder, smiling at him gently. "Let me take him, I'll help." 

"Sure kid, I got to get going anyway," Don says distractedly, handing the baby over to Tony before wandering out. 

Tony looks down at the baby- at the dirty and too-thin crawler, the threadbare and stained shirt wrapped around him, and feels the strongest urge to protect him and care for him. 

Rushing out to catch Don before he disappears off to who knows where, Tony shouts after Don. 

"What's his name?" 

Don sways unsteadily, a confused expression on his face. "What?" 

"I asked what his name was, you know, the baby?" 

"Oh, uh, I been calling him baby, but I got his birth certificate right here, you trying to buy him, Mister?" he says mockingly. 

"What?" Tony asks stunned, frozen in place with the baby huddled against his chest. 

Don turns to him completely now, a greedy gleam in his eyes. "I asked, rich boy," he says sweet as syrup, "do you wanna buy him? I heard you and James got your own place after all." 

"I won't ask much, and you'd probably be able to give the boy a better life," he adds on, climbing the stairs to stand in front of Tony, handing a folded slip of paper to him. 

"Do you regularly try to sell your grandson off to strangers, Mr Rhodes?" Tony asks, an edge to his voice while slipping the kid's birth certificate into his back pocket trying not to jostle him too much. 

"Hey now, none of that Omega snark. Nobody around here got the space to take him in any way, even though the laws are flexible enough to." 

Though he and Rhodey hadn't yet talked about kids, Tony can't ignore his heart clenching painfully at the man's words. "Tell you what, Don - sober up and come back to me tomorrow, if you still want to give him up, we'll go down to the agency tomorrow and make it official." 

"I think you got yourself a deal, pretty boy, given you're not too opposed to giving me some _handlin' fees_, taking care of him hasn't been easy on my pockets, you know." __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Fine," Tony clenches out, trying to reign in his temper, "but if we do this, you never ask another cent from me ever again. It's just this once, and that'll be the end of it. Deal?" 

"Deal," Don says, a satisfied grin on his face. 

"Fine, wait here," Tony says, rushing back inside to get a business card out of his bag. 

"Here's my office number- call me tomorrow and let me know what your answer is." 

Bashfully rubbing the back of his neck, Don gives Tony a crooked smile. "You don't got a few spare coins for me? I ain't got a telephone anymore and you know these publ-" 

"Here's five bucks, save what you need to make the call and do whatever you want with the rest," Tony says before turning and going back in the house. 

*** 

The baby's name turns out to be _Dante,_ which is incredibly fitting, and when Tony tries it out, he concludes that a more perfect name has never existed. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

He doesn't know how he'll explain this to Rhodey, or how he'll make him understand, but something fierce burns in his heart for this little boy. 

His upbringing may not have been the best, but in the passed nine months he's learned how to make more meals than he knew existed, and how to keep house, and just generally how to keep two people alive and in a happy environment. Jarvis hadn't left him totally clueless other, when he'd first presented, he'd slipped a book on a guideline to being Omega and the intricacies of parenting Tony's way before the news had sunk in for Howard. Maybe Jarvis had always known Tony would turn out Omega, Anna always said he had a sixth sense for matters concerning Tony. 

Point is, Tony could be a good mom. 

*** 

Roberta has this _look_ on her face when she gets home and catches sight of Tony with Dante. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

Terrance is frowning at him too, a severe look on his face as he moves around the house darkly when he gets out of work. 

She corners Tony in Rhodey's old bedroom, Dante splayed out on the bed, chewing his fist as Tony tries fixing a cloth diaper around him. 

Roberta slaps his hands away, and refolds the cloth, pinning the flaps to the rest of the cloth. "I'm told you've struck up a deal with Don," she starts, voice casual, but Tony knows her well enough to know there's something brimming under the surface. 

Tony suddenly feels five years old, and his mind starts whirring around, becoming a jumbled up mix of broken-off half-thoughts. "I know you probably think I'm stupid, and that I'm dumb fo-" 

"Hell yes you're stupid, who makes a deal with _Don?_ That man looks at you and sees nothing but dollar signs," Robert says, lowering herself to the edge of the bed and facing Tony. "You're not stupid for feeling what you feel for this baby though, but Tony, Baby... are you ready for this commitment? Have you and James even discussed having kids?" she asks, clasping his hand in hers. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"No... but, Mama, I leave this boy and what happens to him? I took one look at him and knew he was _mine._ Rhodey will understand," Tony says urgently, "and besides, it's not even a done deal. I told Don to call me if he was serious." __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"If you're really sure, I'm with you one hundred and fifty percent, Baby." 

"I am, Ma. Thank you," Tony breathes a sigh of relief, stretching out on the bed beside Dante and huddling him close to his chest, hoping that the sound of his heartbeat will make the boy more responsive. 

" You're okay, Honey," he whispers to him, "I'm here, Baby." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I debated on how I'd end this, but I feel satisfaction in the end, hope you guys do too <3
> 
> I had an alt, but I'll debate on whether to follow that in the future lol
> 
> Also, S.A. just won the RWC!! Kolbe and Mapimpi are my stars!!

Once nine o'clock rolls around and Don still isn't back, Tony heads back to his apartment with Dante, stopping at the cornerstone to buy a few baby items- like actual diapers (Tesla knows he can't wash another poop cloth), and another can of baby formula. 

Dante is still mostly silent, he hadn't even peeped when Tony had first taken him, despite being in a soiled diaper and having severe diaper rash. The kid is definitely small for his age, especially for an Alpha, so Tony tries to time his feedings just perfectly. He's active by the third feeding, wiggling around a bit and turning his head this way and that to take in the things around him. 

The boy winces in displeasure when Tony lowers him into his bath water, but still doesn't even make a sound, and Tony's seriously starting to become worried that he's gone totally mute. Dante amuses himself by splashing around and grabbing onto Tony's shirt, enjoying the jingles his necklace and earrings make when he shakes it, and Tony makes a mental note to get him a rattle- or maybe even one of those play mats with the arch and the hanging rattles if there's some extra money this month. 

_Shit, I'm so far gone already._ He's not sure what he'll do, or if he'll be able to handle it if Don changes his mind, or Rhodey opposes this decision. The kid deserves someone in his corner, someone who'll be there to take care of him, just like he did with Jarvis and Anna. Tony files his thoughts neatly into little mental cabinets, shoving his feelings on the matter into a dark corner, and trying to focus on the task at hand. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

After his bath, Tony wraps the little one in a soft bath towel bouncing him around the apartment as he makes for the bedroom. He towels him dry gently, rubbing soothing baby lotion and oils into Dante's skin and carefully cleaning the area around his belly button. 

Tony lathers the baby rash creme thickly over the infant's affected skin, and checks and double checks that the boy is dressed warm enough. There weren't any stores open this time of the night that sold baby clothes, but Roberta's neighbour had been kind enough to borrow them a few days worth until Tony was able to run out and buy the kid a few things. 

Putting Dante to sleep is way easier than Tony expects it to be, the boy is dozing away, suckling at his bottle when Tony is suddenly overcome with fear and doubt. He's holding a baby, and Rhodey is nowhere near him to share the experience. _What>i> was he thinking? Would Rhodey even want this? _

__

__

Tony so wishes he could call him, but even if he could, what would he say? _Hi babe, how's the air force? Are you eating okay? By the way, we have a kid now. Your alcoholic uncle tried selling me his grandkid and I sorta accepted_? __

_ __ _

_ __ _

A letter was definitely the better option, and even then, he wouldn't write it until this was a sure thing. Rhodey had only called him once since he shipped out, and even then they were only able to speak briefly. Tony knew before he shipped out that Rhodey wouldn't be able to contact him regularly. 

Dante's fighting to keep his eyes open and contentedly blowing spit bubbles, so Tony gently places him in the middle of the bed, piling pillows around him in a nest formation- both to protect him from rolling off the bed in his sleep, but also to satisfy some part of his own primal instincts of a pup safe and surrounded by comforting scents. 

Tony wraps him in one of the new fleece blankets, tightly tucking him into a little burrito before putting him back into the centre of the nest, and tucking Rhodey's sweatshirt in beside him, leaving the bedside lamp on so as to not leave the boy in total darkness. 

He's just washed out the crawler and shirt the infant had been in, when the weariness of the day hits him. Today had been... a day and a half. Tony had ended up (sorta) with a kid and his husband did not have a clue about it, add to that the splash of traumatic childhood memories resurfacing, and the ass day he had had at work, and no one can blame him for just wanting to take a soothing shower and falling into bed. But before that, he has a call to make. 

*** 

Although it's late, Jarvis picks up on the third ring and Tony greets him with a hushed voice, not wanting to disturb Dante's sleep. 

"Master Tony, is everything okay? Did something happen to James?" Jarvis rushes out concerned. 

"Jarv- slow down, we're both _fine,_ nothing to worry about!" __

_ __ _

_ __ _

Tony hears an audible sigh of relief. "Then why on Earth are you calling me at this hour? It's unkind to play such tricks on an old man, my sweet boy." 

"'Old man', hey? You must be the healthiest geyser I know Jarv," Tony jokes, his heart soaring at his old caretaker's endearments. 

"Are you okay, my boy? Catch a case of longing for your mister? If you want, I can drive out tomorrow, have Anna hold the fort. Job only knows what you've been eating since James left," Jarvis urges, tone carefully light. 

"I mean, you totally should come out, I just finalised a few protypes for a new type of mobile telephone I'm going to patent and you need to come pick your one up." 

"Oh, so I'll be the first to get a Tony Stark original? I feel so honoured." 

"You better," Tony quips, winding the chord around his finger and poking his head around the corner to hear for any movement from the bedroom. 

Steeling his spine and straightening up, Tony takes a deep breath. "Also, I may or may not have _takeninakidandamnowfreakingoutalittlesoIneedyoutotellmeI'mnotdumb,"_ he rushes out. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

There's a pause on the other side of the line, and then, "Are you gurgling marbles, Anthony? Take a breath and repeat yourself, please." 

"I- uh, took in a kid?" Tony tries, worrying at his lip with his teeth. 

"You have a child?" Jarvis prompts, his voice the definition of control. 

"Yea-Yeah, not my biological child of course, cause that would be impossible right now, and we just saw each other a few weeks ago, and I wasn't pregnant or anything," Tony rambles out, his stomach rolling at the thought that this was getting very real. 

"Calm down, my dear, how about you find a seat and explain the circumstances to me." 

And Tony does, he starts with the boy's grandfather showing up at Mama's drunk, and the offer he had made with little care for the boy; he cries a little when he relays just how much he thought of Howard in that moment - and how if he hadn't had Jarvis, Tony may as well have ended up the same way, in different economic circumstances of course. 

Jarvis is cool and collected, coaching Tony through the panic attack that overtakes him. He's a mess, and why he thought he could take care of a kid seems beyond him now. The kid deserves better, someone more together, and Tony doesn't realise he's said it out loud until Jarvis interrupts him with a fierce scolding, admonishing him for thinking so low of himself. 

"Anthony, you care for that boy, and that's already doing more for him than anyone else in his life has," Tony hears a kettle whistling in the background, and the calming sounds of Jarvis preparing tea. He'd heard it a million times growing up, and could _almost_ make an identical cuppa- Jarvis was yet to tell him the secret to the perfect stir though. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Now you wipe those tears from your eyes, wash away the stress of the day, and cuddle up with your boy. I'll book a bus ticket tomorrow," Jarvis soothes. 

Tony feels infinitely better once the call ends, but no less shitty for freaking out when the kid was going through much worse. 

He hastily wipes the tears off his face, popping into the bedroom and breathing a sigh of relief when he finds Dante still asleep in the nest. 

He strips down quickly before sliding on his robe and gathering his sleep clothes, quietly padding to the bathroom and running the shower. 

When he finishes, he dresses hastily in the garish floral pyjamas Mama had insisted he get, and rushes back to the bedroom. The baby is laying wide awake now, curious little eyes darting around the room. 

"What are you doing up, Bud? Is it too cold in here? Maybe I should turn up the heat," Tony says, doing an internal victory whoop when the boy's eyes zero in on him at the sound of his voice. 

Although hardly verbal, Dante had wiggled around earlier when he'd tickled his toes while dressing him, and had even smiled when he blew a raspberry against his cheek, so he at least still reacted to stimulus, just like with Tony's voice and the tickling. He had a healthy appetite, and even reached for his bottle whenever he spots Tony with it - two very good signs that with enough love, care and resources, Dante would grow up to be strong and healthy. 

Turning up the gas heater, Tony heads back to the bed, rearranging the nest around him as he lays down and draws the blanket up behind his back. He cuddles Dante closer towards him, reswaddling him and running a calloused thumb across his cheek. The baby's still staring curiously, intelligent doe eyes studying Tony and his surroundings closely, fussing a little in his cocoon until Tony gives him his binky. 

"You like Led Zeppelin, honey? I'll show you my records tomorrow when you've gained some strength. Rhodey got me a "Best of" collection for my birthday this year," Tony tells him, figuring he'd be more at ease if Tony shared details about his life with him- yeah he probably can't understand a word he's saying, but Tony feels better having something to do. 

"Rhodey- that's my mate and your cousin, second-cousin? I've never had a cousin, let alone a second cousin; my parents were both only children, just like me, so I didn't really have that growing u- uh, anyway," Tony laughs nervously, propping his head up with an arm, "Rhodey's in the air force, he enlisted way before I met him. When we first shared a room, he was such stick-in-the-mud. _'Don't wear your shirt like that, Tony', 'just do the assignment like we were told to, Tony', 'stop letting those assho- asshats, sorry - take advantage of you, Tony'._ You know now that I think about it, he was probably the only person looking out for me back there, besides Brucie, who might I add, was even more of a mother hen than Rhodey." __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"I took them both to a rave in second year, and Rhodey had us out of there by nine, _nine_ kiddo, those types of things don't even start 'til twelve," Tony tuts, picking at a loose thread in the duvet. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"He's on the west coast right now, probably bored out of his mind doing push ups or something," he continues, rubbing Dante's stomach soothingly. "Jarv is coming by tomorrow, you're going to love him kiddo- he took care of me when I was little, and even when I got bigger. He's a mother hen too, he'll probably be fussing about how messy my workshop is, or do something crazy like take off all the curtains and wash them." 

Chancing a glance down, Tony sees Dante's eyes drooping sleepily, a small hand fisted in his sleep shirt. Swooping down to nuzzle lightly at the baby's cheek, Tony reaches over to put the lamp off, burrowing further into the blankets. 

"Goodnight, Dante," Tony whispers into the quiet room. 

*** 

Roberta comes by just as Tony's slipping his shoes on; Dante is splayed out on a pillow in the living room muching on his fist as Tony shuffles around getting ready for work. He has lunch set aside for himself, and three bottles made for the kid, packed into a beach bag of his along with a pack of diapers and a spare set of clothes. 

"Good morning, Mama," Tony calls out, eyeing what may be a tear in his stockings before deciding against changing. 

"Morning Baby, how was your night? You look good for someone who's just joined the sleepless club." 

A laugh rips from Tony unexpectedly. "Sleepless who, Ma? Dante's an angel sent from above," Tony brags, pinching the infant's cheek lightly. "He ate so good too," Tony coos. 

"Well, I'm glad he has a healthy appetite, he still not making noise yet?" Roberta asks, voice carefully controlled so as not to stress the baby out. 

"Uh, not yet, he gurgled a bit last night though," Tony replies excitedly, picking the baby up and cradling him close. "I need to go to work, but Ma over here's going to take care of you," Tony directs to the baby, nestling against his cheek soothingly. 

"You call me if Don calls," Roberta says, taking the baby from Tony. "I'll head right over to the agency, you got your documents?" 

Tony pats his messenger bag. "Right here: our marriage certificate, copies of Rhodey and my IDs and proof of his enlistment." 

"Okay then, be safe and enjoy work." 

"Thanks, Ma. I'll see you both later," Tony says heading out of the door. "Bye bye, baby." 

*** 

By noon, Don still hasn't called but Tony's already done his research on adoption and Alpha acquisition. He spends his lunch break mailing a letter to Rhodey with a polaroid of the kid he'd taken last night, and going down to the agency. 

Tony feels like a coward, but the words in the letter were his truth, and he'd articulated himself better in there than he could have ever hoped to in person. 

"Omega Rhodes?" 

Tony comes out of his thoughts, searching for the voice who had called him, and spots a severe-looking woman with a clipboard motioning him over. 

She leads him to an office at the end of the hall, the nameplate on her desk reading 'Alpha J.J. Stevens'. 

The woman points him to a chair, and seats herself down on the other side of the desk. 

She stares at him, unmoving, her face a mask of neutrality. "How can we help you, Omega Rhodes?" 

Schooling himself and slapping on his best press smile, Tony straightens his shoulders calling on every inch of false confidence he could muster. "My Alpha and I are interested in adopting a baby," he starts, praying to God she buys it, "his uncle just got dumped with his grandson, and we've offered to take him off his hands, seeing as the old man isn't in good health anymore." 

"Very well, that certainly makes things easier," Stevens says, taking a form out of her desk drawer. "Do you have any other children, Omega Rhodes?" 

Tony shakes his head, clutching his hands in his lap. "No ma'am." 

She starts checking off and filling out the form, peering at him over her spectacles. "You mentioned your Alpha, are you too officially mated?" 

"Yes we are, we got mated and married in December last year, so it's almost been a year." 

"Mm hmm, I see... are you able to have children, Omega Stark?" 

Tony feels his temper rise, willing himself to stay under control. "Not that it's any of your business, but according to my last physical, it would be difficult and extremely dangerous, but yes, I am able to have children," he replies, feeling his hackles rise a bit. 

"We need to make sure you're taking this child in with good intentions, Mr Rhodes," she starts, making eye contact with him. "As I am assessing you as a prospective parent, I need to ensure the child's needs are always being put first, and it is in their best interest to be adopted by you." 

Tony feels some of the tension leaving hid shoulders, the pit in his stomach loosening somewhat at the less formal way she refers to him. "Of course, my apologies." 

"Now then, where is your Alpha, Mr Rhodes?" she asks, turning back to the paperwork. 

"He's an airman, and currently shipped out," Tony says, his stomach clenching at the thought of her turning him away now. "He's unable to be here, as you can see, but I'll have to write him with the news once we finish our meeting," Tony adds. It's a little white lie, but Tony thinks Rhodey might not count it considering it's for a good reason. 

"That's a bit of an issue, Mr Rhodes," she draws out, clasping her hands together on her desk. "Omegas can't sign off on documentation and contracts like this, as you must know." 

"Perhaps for now, work alongside the grandfather and see how the relationship builds- when your Alpha is back, the three of you can apply together," she says, eyes sympathetic. 

_Compartmentalise, Tony,_ he thinks to himself, staving off his disappointment. "My husband may not be here, but what if I told you I could get his signature?" Tony blurts out, mind running a hundred miles a minute. "We exchange letters through a friend who travels between the east and west coasts for work, he's due to fly in tonight, I was going to send my letter with him," Tony supplies, "what if we were to send the paperwork with him?" __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Well, it would certainly be unusual, but if we're able to get an affidavit ascertaining that he's agreeing to the adoption along with his signature, I don't see an issue with it," Alpha Stevens replies, albeit cautiously. "As long as the grandfather consents as well." 

"We'll get you anything you need," Tony says, a tinge desperate. "Just tell me what to do." 

*** 

When Tony gets back to the office, he ignores the stink eye his manager throws his way, instead heading straight for the secretary's desk. 

"Hey, Maude, any messages for me?" 

She's clacking away distractedly, but shifts through some papers, hastily bringing up a note. 

"Right here, Tony. Your mother-in-law called, she didn't tell me what it was about, but she did ask that you get back to her urgently." 

Thanking her, he slinks away to his office, trying to quell the rolling his stomach was doing. _Maybe Ma was just wondering why I haven't called her yet,_ Tony thinks, picking up his office phone and dialling the Rhodes home number. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Rhodes residence, Roberta speaking." 

"Hey, Ma, it's Tony." 

"Tony!" she squeaks. "Where have you been, baby? I been calling your office all afternoon." 

"Sorry, Ma, I had some business to tie up," Tony explains. "I went down and spoke to the agency, and they've agreed to the adoption, given that we get Rhodey's signature on the papers within two weeks." 

"Okay, that's good news. You hear from Don yet?" 

"Not yet, I'll just uh, swing by his after work?" 

"No don't do that honey, I'll ask Terrence to go on over and see where he is," Ma says. "Your boy's been real good today." 

"Has he? Can you put the phone by his ear so that I can say 'hi' to him?" 

"Oh yeah, he's been feeding good and even went down for a nap earlier. Hold on and let me get him," there's shuffling on the other side until Tony hears Ma's voice distantly telling him to go ahead. 

"Hey baby," he starts, his heart soaring knowing there's still a chance for them to adopt the boy. "Ma says you've been behaving real good; I think a reward is due," he sing-songs, not surprised by the lack of reaction from the other side. "I can't wait to see you when I get back later." 

"Tones, listen, you come straight home after work and we can handle things from there," Ma says coming back on the line. 

"Got it, Ma, I'll see you later." 

*** 

Don is sitting out on the front porch when Tony gets there, his hat clasped between two hands. 

He jumps up when he sees Tony, moving across the lawn to meet him on the curb. "Hey, Mr Tony," he starts, sober enough to not be slurring his words at least. "I lost the money you gave me to call you, but I figured you would come by here." 

"Hey, Don. Have you had a chance to think things through?" Tony asks, shifting his weight from one foot to the next. 

"I did, and I'll do whatever I need to, as long as you hold up your end of the bargain." 

"Uh, sure yeah, to refresh my memory, what was my end again?" Tony asks. 

"You tryin' be sly, boy?" Don asks, a hint of teasing in his voice. "You promised me some cheddar cheese." 

"That can be arranged," Tony says, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "What assurance do I have that this is the last time you come asking me for money though?" 

" You wanna draw up a contract? Look, I don't want the boy, I got enough mouths to feed without having to worry about a kid. This is a once-off occurence, and I'm pretty sure James would give me a real good beating if he found out I was trying to shake you." 

"Okay..." Tony says hesitantly, reaching for his cheque book. "If his dad comes back, what stops him from taking Dante back though?" 

"He left me with an Alpha acquisition contract. The boy was supposedly supposed to be my caretaker when he got bigger, so all legalities are dealt with. Do we got a deal or not?" 

"Yeah, we have a deal," Tony agrees, writing out an amount of three thousand dollars. Their savings would take a bit of a hit, but once Tony got his business up and running, they would be able to put double that amount back in. "I hope you're satisfied with this." 

Eyeing the amount, Don smiles down at Tony. "Where do I sign?" 

*** 

Roberta spends ten minutes scolding him once he relays his great plan of getting the adoption pushed through. "Fraud, Tony, really?!" she asks in exasperation, hands on her hips. 

Wincing under her scrutiny, Tony rubs lightly at Dante's back trying to get him to break wind. "Well, not exactly... have you seen what a fax goes for these days, Ma? And who's to say he'll even be able to sign it by the deadline? Delicate information like this out in the world is a dangerous thing," Tony says. 

" He's right, Roberta," uncle T chimes in, putting a comforting hand at the back of her neck. "I don't like him getting involved with Don either, but we all know how small the probability is that James would be able to get all the documentation ready in time." 

"Fine, but where are you going to lift the signature from? And you can't rush back in there on Monday with the papers, they'll definitely suspect something's up. We can ask Angela to sort the affidavits out for us," Ma says, rubbing at her temples. 

"Either our marriage certificate or one of the most recent cheques he wrote out," Tony says, whooping inside at Ma joining his cause. "Jarvis will be arriving at the bus stop by now, so we'll just fill him in on what's going on." 

"And if he has any good sense, he'll give you a whooping from here to the end of the street for getting up to these schemes." 

"Now Ma, you're part of the scheme too," Tony jokes planting a kiss on her cheek and ignoring the stink eye she throws his way. 

*** 

Jarvis, much to Ma's chagrin, agrees to be part of the plan with little buttering up. 

By the next Wednesday, Tony's buzzing to get the paperwork in and make things official. They'd filled out the forms and gotten everything together, locking it in uncle T's safe for the time being. 

Rhodey calls. 

"So... we have a kid?" he starts conversationally, not a hint of anger in his voice, which immediately puts Tony at ease. 

"I mean, almost, we make it official tomorrow," Tony says, winding and unwinding the telephone chord around his finger nervously. "Are you mad at me?" he asks tentatively. 

"I could never be mad at you, Honey," comes Rhodey's smooth voice, reaching across cities and states to embrace his mate lovingly. "I was just a bit shocked; I didn't even know you wanted a kid." 

"Well," Tony says watery, dabbing at his eyes and ignoring the teasing smile Jarvis throws his way from across the room, "I wasn't really thinking of having them. It sorta just happened." 

"Yeah, I can see that," Rhodey chuckles. "We've got two minutes today, and I don't want to keep you crying for all of it," Rhodey jokes. 

"Is everything okay? The agency didn't give you any problems?" 

"Well, your parents, Jarvis and I kinda had to forge your signature to get things going, so if anyone asks, Jarvis delivered the papers to you and you sent them back with him too," Tony adds. "Not that we're doing anything illegal, CIA if you're listening." 

Rhodey bursts out into full belly laughter, taking a few moments to compose himself again. "God, I miss you. I can't wait to be back with you and meet our son." 

"You mean that?" Tony asks with a small voice, eyes pricking with hot tears at the mention of Dante being their son now. 

"Yes I do, Baby," Rhodey says. "You keep writing to me about what the two of you are up to, and I'll try to go into town whenever I'm free and call home." 

"You got it, Platypus. I love you." 

"I love you," Rhodey says thickly, swallowing back tears as he leans his head against the phone booth. "You tell everybody at home I say 'hi', and Jarvis too. He better come visit when I'm back home in the Spring." 

"I'll let them know," Tony says chuckling, both saying soft goodbyes and trying to hang onto each other's prescenses for a little bit longer. Tony even has to lean over and hold the phone up to Dante, Rhodey and he having a secret conversation. 

*** 

Alpha Stevens reads over the documentation with a sharp eye, nice enough to ignore the Philly PD stamp on "Rhodey's" affidavit. 

She has Don sign a few more papers, stapling things together and taking others apart, before she looks up at them with a small smile, congratulating Tony on becoming a mom. 

Tony's not a prideful man, and will gladly admit to shedding a few tears here and there on the ride back to the house, Dante pressed firmly to his chest; Jarvis and Roberta on either side of him. 

**Author's Note:**

> What did you guys think? Any suggestions?


End file.
